no-bake pb & chocolate bars

9.01.2013

I’m one of those people who eats something delicious and immediately wants to go home and learn how to recreate it. And so I did but not quite immediately. A couple of years ago, while traveling through HKG, I picked up a chocolate/fruit/nut bar from a Starbucks there. It was delicious and hearty. After studying the list of ingredients, I realized it was grain/wheat free and rather healthy. Save. It was mentally stored in my back of brain to make later.

Now fast-forward two year later, one random morning, I have a craving for something comforting and ideally healthy. Most of the time, these two things don’t come hand in hand. I raided my pantry and gathered a bunch of ingredients on the counter. Oh! There is nothing more comforting than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Spotting the dates and almonds, it brought me back to that yummy breakfast bar I had at the Hong Kong Starbucks. The best part of this recipe is that it is no-bake.

Peanut butter & chocolate bars

ingredients:chocolate layer

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup almonds

½ cup sunflower seeds

1 tbsp flaxseeds

¼ cup milk chocolate chips

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

peanut butter layer

½ cup dates, pitted

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup almonds

¼ cup sunflower seeds

1 tbsp flaxseeds

directions:

For the chocolate layer, process the dates in a food processor until the dates come together in a ball. Remove and set aside. Then process the almonds, seeds, chocolate chips, and cocoa together. Add the dates back in and blend until the mixture is well blended. Add in a few more dates if the mixture is too dry.

Pour the mixture into a 8” x 8” pan lined with parchment paper. Using a spatula, press until you have a flat and even layer of chocolate mixture. Place in the freezer.

For the peanut butter layer, process the dates in a food processor (after cleaning it out). Remove and set aside. Then process almonds, and seeds together until it is a fine crumb. Add the peanut butter and dates and blend until the mixture is well blended.

Pour the mixture over the chocolate layer. Using a spatula, press until you have a flat and even layer over the chocolate mixture. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cut into squares.